This Week in Weird

Friday

Nov 23, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 23, 2007 at 11:17 PM

A roundup of quirky news reported this week by GateHouse newspapers.

Put down the beer when dialing 911 in front of a cop station

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Police encourage people to call 911 to report a crime, but a Framingham man on Tuesday got himself arrested while dialing 911. Michael A. Cooper, 43, called 911 from a pay phone right in front of the police station while drinking a beer, police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany said. ``We didn't have to go far to arrest him, that's for sure,'' the lieutenant said.

At 11:20 p.m., police received a 911 call reporting a woman trespassing at 12 Lexington St., where Cooper lives. When the dispatcher looked on the computer screen to see where the call came from, he found out it was from the phone outside the station door. ``You can see the phone from inside the station,'' Shastany said. Officer Timothy O'Toole went outside to speak to Cooper, and discovered he had a glassful of beer. O'Toole arrested Cooper, much to Cooper's surprise.

The woman Cooper called 911 about was also arrested. Juanita Bruno, 20, had been issued a no-trespass order for 12 Lexington St. She was found sleeping on one of the resident's floors and arrested at 12:02 a.m. Cooper was charged with public drinking, while Bruno was charged with trespassing.

Burglary victim catches thief

lION, N.Y. -- A Frankfort man was arrested on felony burglary charges after he was apprehended by the victim whose home and business he had intruded. Timothy W. Hanrahan, 35, of 214 Railroad St., was arrested and jailed after an investigation into an incident on Nov. 13 at 4:45 a.m.

Police had been contacted by an Ilion village resident who told them he had confronted, physically apprehended and detained the intruder whom had broken into his residence by means of an unlocked window. The defendant allegedly climbed into the building, which houses the combination of a private business, primarily located on the first floor, and the residence of the owner. Hanrahan was inside the business portion of the building, and he was searching various locations to locate items to steal, police said.

The complainant reported awakening to strange noises coming from the first floor. As he investigated the noises, he observed the unknown intruder within his home. After a physical confrontation and a brief foot chase, the victim apprehended the intruder. “He grabbed the burglar, and after he caught him, he made the man stay with him,” Ilion Police Captain L.A. DeVaul said. “Once the complainant got his hands on [Hanrahan], he didn’t try to run because he knew the owner was in the process of calling the police.”

Yeah, cash is a good solution to a hit-and-run

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- A man pulling out of an apartment complex bumped into a 15-year-old boy walking with a bicycle, knocked the boy over, and gave the boy $20 before driving off, police said. The boy, whose name was not released because of his age, was not seriously injured but was taken to Marlborough Hospital because he is a minor, police said.

The boy was walking west along the road with his bicycle next to him around noon when the driver bumped the bicycle, knocking the boy over, police said. Police said they had the license plate of the driver, who will likely face charges of leaving the scene of an accident.

Chicago-area couple wed at Thanksgiving parade

BELVIDERE, Ill. -- Raychal Pritchett and Adam Buckhahn of Belvidere exchanged a unique set of wedding vows on Thanksgiving. Pritchett, 30, wore long underwear beneath her dress as she and Buckhahn, 31, said their “I do’s” inside a giant snow globe during the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade.

The couple entered a Chicago radio contest earlier this month and won their “fairy tale wedding” just last week. It’s been a quick turnaround since then. Raychal was fitted for her dress Friday, got the dress Monday and they’re rehearsing for the first time today.

The wedding amenities were provided by McDonald’s, the parade sponsor. Included in their prize package was a two-night stay at Chicago’s Hotel Sax, a wedding reception for 10 people, the wedding gown, tuxedo, rings, and of course, a $100 McDonald’s Arch Card.

GateHouse News Service

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